Program teaches swimming to prevent drowning

Mileiris Medina, 5, left, kicks her feet while being taught how to swim by Water Safety Instructor Shaneice Muthra during the Drowning Prevention Training Program at the Ed Croskey Recreation Center pool on Wednesday.

Doug Engle/Staff photographer

By Jamie VoisineCorrespondent

Published: Friday, June 21, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 9:43 p.m.

Jennifer Acevedo knows first-hand the value of knowing how to swim.

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Just 5 years old, her son, Erick Barreto, has already succumbed to the water on two occasions, both after falling in a pool while trying to reach for a ball. Fortunately for Erick and his family, nearby adults were able to pull him to safety each time.

Despite good outcomes, those instances of sheer terror were enough to shake Acevedo into action.

The single mother looked into swimming lessons for both Erick and his sister, seven-year-old Mileiris Medina, but found the expense was unaffordable — until her youngest child's Early Head Start teacher told her about a program offered by the Marion County Health Department.

“When I found out from (Carmen Damon) that the health department had a grant I called to see if there was any chance that my kids could still get into the program,” Acevedo said. “And thank goodness they were able to help us out.”

For the second time in the three years the county's health department has been able to obtain a grant to fund a drowning prevention program for kids, ages 3-17, to be able to receive the critical water safety skills needed to survive.

“This is the largest (grant) we've had so far,” said Evelyn James, program manager of health education at the Marion County Health Department. “Once we're done, I'm projecting we will have provided swimming lessons to approximately 90 kids.”

Lessons are held at one of two pools within the community — Hampton or Jervey Gantt — 30 minutes a day Monday through Thursday for two weeks, and are taught by the Recreation and Parks life-guarding staff.

“We were able to fill all the slots in a relatively short amount of time,” said James of the county's high demand. “And most of it was word of mouth.”

Grants that fund programs such as the Drowning Prevention Program are most often put to use in the early parts of June when community pools are just opening for the summer. Though this summer's program is full, James urges residents in need to keep their eyes and ears open for more programs like it in the future.

“I want our residents to be aware that these things are available and to look out in the future if there's any announcements for them,” she said. “This is water season, and in Marion County, even though we are a land-locked county, we continue to still experience drowning accidents at fatalities and we're encouraging everyone to make sure they are equipped to address it. One of the things to do is to learn how to swim.”

As for Acevedo and her children, the program couldn't have come at a more pivotal time.

“It's been a really big blessing,” Acevedo said. “My son was to the point where he would only get into the water up to his knees. He wouldn't even get close to the pool. But now he just walks right up and sits himself on the edge and waits his turn. (The teacher) has gotten him so comfortable to where he trusts that she will teach him what he needs to learn to what he needs to be safe.

“(Mileiris) has been around the two times her brother has fallen into the pool so the whole thing has made her leery and very respectful of the water,” she added. “She would never jump into a pool before, but now she's doing breaststroke under the water and the backstroke, and they actually have her in the advanced portion of the class.”

<p>Jennifer Acevedo knows first-hand the value of knowing how to swim.</p><p>Just 5 years old, her son, Erick Barreto, has already succumbed to the water on two occasions, both after falling in a pool while trying to reach for a ball. Fortunately for Erick and his family, nearby adults were able to pull him to safety each time.</p><p>Despite good outcomes, those instances of sheer terror were enough to shake Acevedo into action.</p><p>The single mother looked into swimming lessons for both Erick and his sister, seven-year-old Mileiris Medina, but found the expense was unaffordable — until her youngest child's Early Head Start teacher told her about a program offered by the Marion County Health Department.</p><p>“When I found out from (Carmen Damon) that the health department had a grant I called to see if there was any chance that my kids could still get into the program,” Acevedo said. “And thank goodness they were able to help us out.”</p><p>For the second time in the three years the county's health department has been able to obtain a grant to fund a drowning prevention program for kids, ages 3-17, to be able to receive the critical water safety skills needed to survive.</p><p>“This is the largest (grant) we've had so far,” said Evelyn James, program manager of health education at the Marion County Health Department. “Once we're done, I'm projecting we will have provided swimming lessons to approximately 90 kids.”</p><p>Lessons are held at one of two pools within the community — Hampton or Jervey Gantt — 30 minutes a day Monday through Thursday for two weeks, and are taught by the Recreation and Parks life-guarding staff.</p><p>“We were able to fill all the slots in a relatively short amount of time,” said James of the county's high demand. “And most of it was word of mouth.”</p><p>Grants that fund programs such as the Drowning Prevention Program are most often put to use in the early parts of June when community pools are just opening for the summer. Though this summer's program is full, James urges residents in need to keep their eyes and ears open for more programs like it in the future.</p><p>“I want our residents to be aware that these things are available and to look out in the future if there's any announcements for them,” she said. “This is water season, and in Marion County, even though we are a land-locked county, we continue to still experience drowning accidents at fatalities and we're encouraging everyone to make sure they are equipped to address it. One of the things to do is to learn how to swim.”</p><p>As for Acevedo and her children, the program couldn't have come at a more pivotal time.</p><p>“It's been a really big blessing,” Acevedo said. “My son was to the point where he would only get into the water up to his knees. He wouldn't even get close to the pool. But now he just walks right up and sits himself on the edge and waits his turn. (The teacher) has gotten him so comfortable to where he trusts that she will teach him what he needs to learn to what he needs to be safe.</p><p>“(Mileiris) has been around the two times her brother has fallen into the pool so the whole thing has made her leery and very respectful of the water,” she added. “She would never jump into a pool before, but now she's doing breaststroke under the water and the backstroke, and they actually have her in the advanced portion of the class.”</p>